Little Wooden Toys

my little Rama figure (a little dusty),
star of the Ramayana story

my little Brahma, creator of the universe.

I spend a lot of time reminiscing here it seems...it's not that I like to live in the past, but I find looking back a helpful tool for seeing where I am in the present, where new ideas can spring from or the experience of memory as a tool to propel me into a new project or sometimes just the next moment. I notice that happens for a lot of people, we remind each other of things we've seen and places we've been and can inspire something entirely new for each of us.

A few days ago I read on a wonderful paper-cut artist's blog, Fog & Thistle that she's working on a shadowbox of the Ramayana, the ancient Hindu epic and love story. I love this story, my adviser in school had written books about Hanuman and was an expert on the Ramayana and the Hindu pantheon (he recommends this version here). Her post brought back such great memories of the time spent reading and discussing its twists and turns and all the little and large digressions that the story holds.

found these b&w photos here. I wish I knew who took them

And then of course also memories of India: the toymakers I sat with and worked with day after day in Benares were well versed in creating gods and goddesses from little pieces of wood, lacquered in bright colors, so that children (and later tourists!) could learn the ancient stories, sort of like what Rachel is doing with her shadowboxes. I took a few of my little figurines off their shelf and photographed them for her. They reminded me too, although I see them everyday, of my love for all things small and intimate--of the pieces I collect for my work and the little stories (les historiettes!) that I try to tell through my work.

Just want to remind you to enter my giveaway--the gift is a tiny story as well--I'll be so happy to pass it along...